Natya Darshan was an initiative started in 2001 to broaden the discourse
around dance in India and beyond. It is an annual dance seminar
Kartik Fine Arts holds during the December music and dance festival
every year.

Convenor's note
Natya Darshan has been a wonderful journey and fairly arduous to curate,
a continuous effort since February 2016. The first edition - ND16 was
titled New Dimensions and explored the emerging aspects of classical
dance in performing art space from past to present. The second edition
ND17 themed NOW OR NEVER focuses on all that is current. My intention is
to heighten the awareness between performers and audience which is most
important. Contextually all aspects are directed on the present.

CONFER has Ramli Ibrahim sharing his experiences with Building Brand ,
and experts speak on panels that discuss Curating Festivals, Creating
Concepts and Winning Audiences. These are the most important facets of
the art for artists to be aware of to thrive in today's arena.
REVIVE is collaborative work between media artists and dance groups to dramatise the interpretation of poetry.
EXPLORE events have been programmed from across the spectrum starting
with SPARK, a presentation of four prodigious talents. The EXPLORE event
has performances by companies like Samudra, Attakkalari, Spilling Ink
and Apsara Arts while Rukmini Vijaykumar, Sanjukta Wagh present
solo. The performances are exemplary examples of their
genre.

Natya Darshan will be a treat for the Chennai rasikas to experience
performances on international festival standards, a relief for those
from the stereotyped festival programming available in Chennai. I urge
all dancers, musicians, photographers, writers, poets, theatre
groups, technicians and professionals to participate and
unleash the artists within themselves.

OBJECTIVES OF THE CONFERENCE: Natya Darshan 2017 -Now or Never
* The objective of Natya Darshan 2017 is to emphasise that Life is in the Now, Living is in the Now and Breathing is in the Now & Performance is in the Now.
* The intent is to encourage young dancers to take their chances now, live their dreams now & give their best now.
* To kindle interest in arts every passing moment, for every moment is a paradox of Now or Never.
* To appreciate the growth of Dance into the realms of
Education and Therapy which have also thrown open career choices for
dedicated dancers.

CONFER: Bulding Brand
What does it mean to an artist? How does an artist /performer build
oneself as a brand? This panel discussion will have eminent
personalities from the field of dance who have been successful in
defining themselves and providing a recognition to their art form. This
presentation will focus on how artists can present themselves to their
audience and how to take up work / performances that can aid in building
oneself as a brand.

CONFER: Curating Festivals
The panellists in this discussion have been engaged in curating
prestigious arts festivals in India and abroad. It would be an
enlightening session to understand what makes these festivals a success,
what goes into putting a festival together and how the festivals
contribute to the artist / performer. The youngsters can also interact
with the panellists to understand what they can do to be a part of such
festivals and showcase their talent.

REVIVE: The Literal and the Symbolic - Concept Performance
The performing group will comprehend a piece of poetry, understand its
layers and present it through movement in a symbolic or literal manner.
The director and the group ideate on the lines and the presentation to
ensure deeper understanding for the audience. The event is an expression
of lines through movement which enables the audience to appreciate the
confluence of the art forms. The poetry will be revealed at the
end of the performance.

CONFER: Winning Audiences
This panel discussion will be by artists who have won the hearts of
several people with their soulful performances. These veterans will
highlight what it takes to relate to the audience and customise the
performance to the psyche of the audience.

CONFER: Creating Concepts
A concept is a string of thoughts, linear or abstract, that the
performer wishes to convey in a performance. What does it take to create
a concept that is relevant to the audience and that meets the demands
of the present time? The NOW, that challenges boundaries and that is
creative in execution. These and more would be discussed by the
panellists who have been engaged in presenting arts in the most creative
manner under innovative concepts.
The performing group will comprehend the poetry, understand its layers
and present it through movement in a symbolic or literal manner. The
director and the group ideate on the lines and the presentation to
ensure deeper understanding for the audience.

Entry is to be priced and for tickets, contact Saravanan, Natyadarshan Team: +91 9840792097
Contact: natyadarshan@gmail.com